Caution: Hiking Trail to The Eternal Flame Being Diverted

It's one of the most sought after hikes in Western New York, but this summer, it might become a little harder to find if you're not aware.

What is the Eternal Flame?

Every year, thousands of people take a hike through Chestnut Ridge State Park to find what is known as the Eternal Flame.  It's a flame that is always lit behind a waterfall.  The flame comes from a small amount of natural gas that is emitted from a small grotto in the waterfall.

It's small, but people come from all over the place to take the beautiful hike and to check it out.

The Eternal Flame will be getting a detour to it's trail

In order to get to the Eternal Flame, you need to follow a trail to the creek where it originates.  But this year, starting on July 17th, there will be a detour that the public will be asked to take.  There will be signage to help people find their way.

Why is there going to be a detour this year?

According to the Erie County Parks twitter page, the detour is to allow for renovations of the trail itself.  As you can imagine, with so many people passing through the trail, maintenance is important to make sure that it's safe and beautiful for all hikers.

The main parking lot will still remain open.  The main trail will also be open but there will be a detour as renovations are happening.  They ask that you follow the signs.

The renovations should only take a few days and they hope to eliminate the detour starting August 18th.